About 80% of 200 UK-based respondents aged 50 years and above said they would be more likely to use a supplement that contained naturally occurring ingredients ‘Supported by extensive clinical trials’, according to study commissioned by Lycored.

About 79% of respondents would be more likely to use a product that was derived from fruit or vegetables.

But at 70%, supplements containing ingredients made specifically from tomatoes had even stronger appeal.

The respondents, who take supplements at least five times a week, were also asked about how important they considered heart health benefits to be.

It was found that:

– 73% thought support for a healthy circulatory system to be beneficial,

– Reducing bad cholesterol was considered important by 69%,

– 68% cited improving cardiovascular health over time as a priority, and

– 66% said helping to maintain blood pressure within normal range was a priority.

The importance the respondents attached to heart health benefits indicates good levels of awareness that the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases with age, says the World Heart Foundation.

The World Health Organization says CVD accounts for 31% of all global deaths and has remained the world’s single biggest over the past decade.

“The responses generated by this research enable us to form a picture of the ingredients that are most likely to appeal to consumers when used in dietary supplements,” says Golan Raz, senior VP of the health nutrition division at Lycored.

“An analysis of these results highlights that Cardiomato, as a natural whole tomato nutrient complex that is free from artificial ingredients and supported by extensive clinical trials, taps into every significant trend in the dietary supplement market today.”

Cardiomato contains a synergistic composition of the active compounds found in tomatoes including lycopene, phytoene, phytofluene, beta-carotene, phytosterols and tocopherols (vitamin E), which have been standardized and optimized to support their heart healthy qualities.

The ingredient has been shown to reduce oxidized LDL cholesterol, lower systolic blood pressure already within the normal range, and preserve the endothelium, which lines artery walls and supports the proper functioning of blood vessels among healthy populations.